“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the
inside of a man.”
–Sir Winston Churchill

Friday, June 12, 2009

The Art of Cinching up a Saddle, Part II

After the event described in the previous post, the problem settled down to a mild annoyance. I learned to tighten the cinch in increments, and he learned not to flip himself over. He would squirm and shuffle around as I snugged up the cinch, but in comparison to his circus act, I was willing to live with this. One benefit of the dancing around is that I soon learned to keep track of where his feet were in relation to mine. A cowboy boot will lose to a #2 horseshoe every time. It also tends to result in the nearby air turning a shade of blue as I express my displeasure.

Many beginning horse people go through a stage that I simply refer to as the “will I ever find a decent saddle that fits my horse, is comfortable for my butt, and that I can afford” phase. We are usually destitute from buying the horse, so purchasing top of the line tack is generally not in the cards. Craigslist and the Auction become our friends.

The first saddle I purchased was a cheap POS. So bad in fact, that I threw it in the trash after a month, as my conscience would not let me sell it to anyone. The second saddle was better. It was comfortable to ride in, and it fit Smokey well enough, if only for a little while.

Smokey had seen little riding for the two years prior. As I started riding him and feeding him better, he began to bulk up. By spring, saddle the second was becoming too tight on his withers.Fed up with this nonsense, I loaded Smokey in the trailer, and off to the tack store we went.

My favorite tack shop is owned by a Texan named Mike. This man can sell you your own shirt if you aren’t paying attention. But, he’s an honest fellow, and he won’t steer you wrong, because he wants you to come back and spend more money at his place of business, as well as sending all your friends.

Mike sized Smokey up, and then headed into the store. He carried out three saddles, and alternately set them on Smokey’s back. The two that provided the best fit were both Crates saddles. Mike began cinching up the one that was currently on the horse.

“Be careful Mike, he’s a bit cinchy.”

In hindsight maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. It could very well be that I invoked a self fulfilling prophecy

As you’ve probably guessed, Smokey was now standing high on his back legs. I remember contemplating how much it was going to cost to get my new, broken saddle repaired. I also wondered if he would throw himself down, in a repeat of the first experience.

Not one to disappoint, Smokey toppled over like a tree, landing on his right side again. “I guess I’ll buy that one” was the prevalent thought in my mind.

As the horse got up, wearing the same dopey, embarrassed look as the previous time, Mike turned to me and asked, “what was that?”

“I warned you.”

Now that Smokey was back on his feet, I looked the saddle over while Mike checked the fit. I was relieved to see that it had suffered no damage. Mike declared it to be a good fit, and proving himself the salesmen he is, managed to up sell me on a saddle pad, and cinch. With my wallet lighter to the tune of $1200, I loaded the horse and saddle, and set off for home.

I still have the saddle. Heck, I still have the horse, too. Smooth talking salesman or no, Mike knows his saddles. It fits Smokey as though it were custom made for him, and is incredibly comfortable for me. It has never once slipped, even on those rare occasions where the cinch was not quite as snug as it should have been. I loaned it to a friend once, and she promptly went out and bought two of them.

8 comments:

I truly love reading about them and your life surrounding that wonderful world. It makes me feel like I have a small window on a dream I wish I lived.

But...you clearly have much more to say, own an intelligent, thoughtful mind and have a beautiful way with words. I would gently suggest expansion on your obviously wide range of interests and broad intellect.

Dang... I've bought new mo'sickles for less!! But not lately, of course.

That said, I'm a BIG proponent of the "ya gets what ya pays for" school of thought. Good stuff, which your saddle obviously is, requires great skill to produce and great material from which to produce it.

Hi !.You may , probably very interested to know how one can reach 2000 per day of income . There is no initial capital needed You may begin earning with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you haven`t ever dreamt of such a chance to become richThe company represents an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

Its head office is in Panama with structures everywhere: In USA, Canada, Cyprus.Do you want to become an affluent person? That`s your choice That`s what you wish in the long run!

I feel good, I started to take up income with the help of this company, and I invite you to do the same. It`s all about how to select a proper companion utilizes your money in a right way - that`s it!.I take now up to 2G every day, and my first deposit was 1 grand only! It`s easy to get involved , just click this link http://sowaqewo.kogaryu.com/ohuxih.html and lucky you`re! Let`s take our chance together to feel the smell of real money

Play Casino Games tyuueooruhttp://stonewalljacksoncarnival.org/ - Free Casino Gambling You can enjoy online casino simply by getting connected to the Internet.[url=http://stonewalljacksoncarnival.org/]Best Online Casinos[/url] Therefore, the more the online casino, the more the casino options and offers as well.Free Casino Gambling Play wherever and whenever you want The best thing about online casino is that you don?t have to visit your local casino in order to meet your gambling desire.

Hello everyone!I would like to burn a theme at this forum. There is such a thing, called HYIP, or High Yield Investment Program. It reminds of financial piramyde, but in rare cases one may happen to meet a company that really pays up to 2% daily not on invested money, but from real profits.

For several years , I earn money with the help of these programs. I don't have problems with money now, but there are heights that must be conquered . I make 2G daily, and I started with funny 500 bucks. Right now, I managed to catch a guaranteed variant to make a sharp rise . Visit my web site to get additional info.

About Me

I'm a retired Submarine Sailor living in the Pacific Northwest. Until I retired from the Navy in 2005, I had never ridden a horse. Now my family has six of them, four Quarter Horses, and two Paint Horses. This blog will contain the trials and tribulations of one horse owning family. It may also contain any other observations, rants, raves, or whatever else I see fit.